Land Reforms Bills will Turnout Disastrous, warns Kummanam Rajashekharan

Pathanamthitta: The proposed reconstituting of Land Reforms Bill recommended by the state government, along with reform bills related to streams and paddy fields will only serve to destroy environment, said chief convenor of Aranmula Paithruka Grama Karma Sammiti Kummanam Rajashekharan. He also warned of far reaching disastrous consequences if this were to happen.

“All remonstrations done till date, seeking permission for construction of Aranmula airport, have failed miserably. It is at this juncture that the state government has come with the reformations, in a last minute attempt to salvage the interests of KGS Group,” said Kummanam Rajashekharan.

Highlighting that these two regulations were chiefly responsible for the preservation of streams and paddy fields, Kummanam said that the state government is cowing before the power and conspiring moves of might corporate establishments who want to further their business ventures for their own selfish interests, by donning various guises.

“This includes reclamation of land, by filling rivulets and other water bodies. Under the name of nationwide development, the government aims at aiding reaping a harvest by destroying Kerala’s precious natural resources, all under the guise of aiding industrialists and hastening development,” said Kummanam. 

Kummanam further elaborated on the repercussions and permanent damages that will arise in Kerala, if a depletion of food and water sources arise. “It is with a lot of hope and expectations that citizens are viewing the arrival of reforms related to land, water-bodies and paddy fields. Only two and a half hectares of paddy fields no remain. In spite of there being stringent laws, we witnessed the loss of 5 lakh hectares of paddy fields in the last 25 years. These business tycoons have not been able to grab land the way they have wanted because of the restrictions imposed on limitations as per land reform laws,” he said.

The tireless social reformer also stated bluntly that the new laws only serve to deprive the rights of the landless and poor with regard to their rights over land. “There is no one to claim those lakhs of acres of land even after their tenure of lease has expired. Instead the government is now striving to hand over this land to corporates. “This is denial of social justice” he said, adding that the government should retreat from venturing into those reforms.